That massive splash just might cost cash
LOREN BENOIT/Press A driver negotiates a standing puddle Monday afternoon along Ross Point Road in Post Falls.
LISA JAMES/ PressCars drive through the rain and snow puddling up on Government Way in Post Falls on Monday afternoon.
BRIAN WALKER/Press Water from rain and snow melt floods Second Street in Post Falls on Sunday. City crews are unclogging drains to limit the amount of standing water before the next melt occurs.
BRIAN WALKER/Press Richard Johnson, a Post Falls city employee, unclogs a drain on Second Street on Monday.
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff Writer
As tempting as the deepest parts of those street ponds are to plunge through, they may also drive you to the auto repair shop.
"Yah, they're fun to impress your friends with and get a big splash," said Fred Meyers, service manager at Silverlake Automotive. "But you also don't know what's in there."
Meyers said large puddles in the streets often send motorists to repair shops. He said some people tend to think the underside of their vehicle is a hunk of metal that can't be damaged with a little — or a lot — of water.
"You run the risk of getting water in the air intake of the engine," he said. "It can also cause issues to any electrical connections that aren't sealed well and it can cause belts to come off."
He said motorists also don't know what's in the water.
"There could be a big chunk of muffler that has fallen off another vehicle that could damage your tire if you run over it," Meyers said.
He said motorists also run the risk of hydroplaning on the water if they're traveling fast enough.
Meyers said the best advice he can give drivers from a damage prevention perspective is to avoid the water if possible. If that isn't an option, try driving through the shallowest parts.
As for how fast drivers should proceed through the water — if driving through is the only option — he said that depends on the situation.
"If you drive through at 40 mph, that can be like hitting concrete," he said. "But, if you drive through too slow, that can submerge the air intake. The bottom line is that going through poses risks no matter how slow or fast you take it."
Meltdown, revisited
City crews scrambled Sunday and Monday to unclog drains to relieve streets from standing water brought on by melting snow.
"Our crews are now focused on pushing back the berms in the neighborhoods," said Tim Martin, Coeur d'Alene's street superintendent.
Jim Porter, Post Falls street director, said crews will continue to scrape the roads in neighborhoods when the ice turns to slush. He said residents can help by making sure drains on their street are unclogged.
"If you know there's a drain near your house, see if you can find it and make sure it's open," Porter said. "We still have a handful of minor issues, but no property has been damaged so we're in pretty good shape."
Martin said the rain that's predicted for the rest of the week should help reduce the berms even more.
"It's been several years since we've seen the tall berms that we've had this winter," Martin said.
What’s ahead
A mixture of light snow and rain is expected all week before temperatures are predicted to reach 50 in the middle of next week, Press Meteorologist Randy Mann said.
"We'll warm up and dry out next week," Mann said. "Warmer weather will continue to make things sloppy."
High temperatures this week are expected to be in the mid- to upper 30s.
Mann said the recent weather that has hovered near the freezing mark has been perfect for the snow melt because too much hasn't come at once.
Sandy Von Behren, director of the Kootenai County Office of Emergency Management, said her department hasn’t received any reports of major flooding outside the cities. She said river forecasts don’t show any threats of flooding, either.